Ho'ailona
by Cokie316
Summary: Not everyone in Hawaii wants the Five-0 team on the island.
1. Chapter 1

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

**OK, disclaimers here. First, I haven't written anything that I've allowed people to read since sometime early in the last decade. The writing skills are very rusty. Second, I've never posted to this site before, so please be patient. I'm still trying to figure out chapters and such. The story is finished and if the chapter thing doesn't work, I'll just post it all in one document.**

**I need thank my two very best friends for being wonderful proofers and sounding boards. So, thanks K and R for challenging me to make this into the story it is.**

**As for the real disclaimer: I do not own anything, least of all these wonderful characters. I covet your comments and constructive criticism. A wise woman told me to add the following: "I have two friends in Hawaii; one who ties people to his car and the other who hangs people off of tall buildings. They will deal with any and all flames." But you would probably like that, wouldn't you?**

_**Friday, 7:45 p.m.**_

Beams of pink and gold were filtering through the office windows of the governor's most elite task force, the waning sunlight signaling the close of another long day. With a relaxed sigh, Chin Ho Kelly turned away from the window and tipped back his chair. "This has been a **Maika'i** day all around."

His cousin Kono proudly agreed, adding with a grin, "Yeah. We kicked some solid ass out there today. Feels good."

Commander Steve McGarrett walked out of his office and overheard their conversation. He leaned against the conference table, crossed his arms and smiled at his team. "We did okay."

"Okay?" Danny Williams nearly spluttered, his feet hitting the floor from their perch on his desk. Jumping up, he confronted the commander. "Kono was right – we whipped some ass out there. And you say 'okay'? There's just something totally wrong with you, man."

"Hey, I'm agreeing with her."

The detective waved his hands in the air. "No, we did better than 'okay'. We did great."

"Okay," McGarrett replied rolling his eyes. "We did great." He knew exactly which buttons to push to get his partner riled up and did so with alarming frequency. "So, enlighten me…as if I could stop you."

"You want enlightened? I'll show you enlightened. First off, it's Friday," he held up his thumb for counting purposes. "And we ended the week with a huge bust. HUGE. I know we earned brownie points from the governor. With any luck, we can have a normal – and calm - weekend. Two," the index finger joined the thumb. "We got the scumbags before they smuggled the coins off the islands. And we caught them all…no stragglers, no runners, no monkeys hiding in the coconut trees."

Their team leader readily agreed with a nod and grin, motioning with his hand for Danny to continue. "There's more?" McGarrett prodded, while both Chin and Kono sat back to enjoy the show as Williams continued his rant.

"Thirdly," he added, pacing the floor, before turning back and pointing to McGarrett, "'Mister- Lieutenant Commander-Let's-Jump-In-With-Both-Feet-Before-We-Know-the-Situation', _**we**_ got a warrant."

Kono grinned and waved her hand in the air. "I did that."

"So you did", Williams agreed, gesturing in her direction. "And I thank you. You see, Kono, police procedures do work. You need to remember that in spite of what you may hear from others in this office."

McGarrett shrugged one shoulder. "We would have gotten them anyway."

Williams shrugged. "Maybe, maybe not. But this way, we got in, found the Intel we needed, and busted their asses." He took a deep breath. "And fourth," he stopped to recount, holding up his fingers, rethinking to himself. Nodding, he continued, "Yeah, fourth, no one, I repeat, no one got shot, stabbed, or beaten. Not even a hang nail to show for it. So, all in all, it's been a very good day."

"As in _**you**_ didn't get shot, stabbed or beaten?"

"Damn straight."

"Are you done?"

"Yeah. No." He held up all five fingers, waving them for all to see. "Five is that all the paperwork has been typed, logged and emailed." Danny blew out a deep breath, scrubbed his hands through his hair and sat down in his chair, kicking it back far enough to prop his feet on the desk. Crossing his arms over his chest, he met McGarrett's eyes with a steady gaze and a twinkle in his eye, presenting the perfect Jersey 'and what'a _you_ got?' attitude. "Now, I'm done."

"Thank God," McGarrett muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear. "Thought we'd be here until midnight. And I, for one, am ready to leave."

"Me, too," Kono agreed. "The down side to all this fun is that we missed lunch. I'm starving."

"Agreed. Let's celebrate," Chin added.

McGarrett pushed off the table with both hands. "We can do that. How about 'Imanas Tei' – I'm buying…for a job well done," he added, nodding his head toward Danny.

Chin clapped his hands together. "Best sushi on the planet," he said, his eyes crinkling as he smiled. Standing, he shoved his chair beneath the desk. "I'm in."

"All right. Let's get out of here before he changes his mind," Kono said. "Coming, Danny?"

"Sushi, huh?"

McGarrett stopped dead in his tracks and turned back toward his partner. "Let me guess. You. Don't. Like. Sushi." He punctuated each word with a point to Danny's chest.

"Who, me? No, I _**love**_ sushi," Williams replied. "I'm just thinking about Chin's 'best on the planet' comment. Apparently, you never had sushi from Jersey."

"No," McGarrett replied with a laugh. "Can't say that I have." He pushed the detective out the door. "And if the gods continue to smile on me, I never will."

"Hey, Jersey knows sushi."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, Jersey Boy."

"And you, Moondoogie, had better have your wallet."

Their banter was interrupted by the ringing of McGarrett's cell phone. His entire team groaned at the sound.

"Oh, no, here we go, here we go," Williams grumbled.

"Hang on," Steve held up his hand for quiet. "Gotta take this, it's the governor." He moved a short distance away from them as they all continued walking toward the cars. "Yes, ma'am…yeah, thanks. Today was a good day. Well, okay. Sure. I can meet you."

They waited until McGarrett was off the phone before pouncing. "You're welching, aren't you?" Danny asked, pointing to the phone. "I knew you buying dinner was too good to be true."

"Hey! Not welching. You guys go on. I'll meet you there. She has something for me to see."

"A job, right? This weekend." Danny continued to grumble.

"Nah, if it was a job, she would have called the land line. Whatever it is, she said it would just take a few minutes. Trust me."

"Trust him." Kono, do you hear that? We're supposed to trust him? This is dinner we're talking about."

"I swear, you guys go—"

"Nope. I'm coming with you," Williams decided. "Chin, you guys go get a table 'cos I'm gonna make sure this guy shows up to pay." Pointing at his partner, he warned, "You've got ten minutes, then I'm hauling your ass outta there. Governor or no governor."

"All right. Get in the car," he ordered Williams. Pointing to Chin who was in the next parking space, he continued, "Order the first round and we'll be there before the drinks are. I swear."

"Yeah, no one believes that," Danny mumbled, getting into the car and grabbing his seat belt.

"I'm serious. This will be quick," McGarrett promised, sliding behind the steering wheel.

"I'll make certain of it." He grabbed the dash as the car peeled out of the lot and turned the corner. "Geez, you are insane."

"The clock's apparently ticking. Danny, she's my boss, which means she's also _**your**_ boss. So I think I can take a few minutes to find out what she wants."

"So… now you're my boss? Geez, and here I was, thinking we were partners."

"Don't start. We are partners. You know that."

"Oh, no, _**you're**_ the boss. So if you want to chat with the governor all night, what can I do about it, huh, Boss?"

"Give me a break," Steve groaned.

"Where we going, anyway?" Danny asked as they passed the road leading to the Governor's office.

"She said to meet her 'at the place we first met'."

"Well, that's cryptic." He turned to stare at McGarrett. "So…where we going?

"The pier, down by the Missouri. You're right; it was cryptic, which isn't really like her." Glancing at his partner, he added, "And no, I really don't know what's going on, so don't bother asking. But, for the record, I'm starved, so this will not take long."

They pulled up to the near-empty pier, the ship tours having ended and tourists gone for the evening. "There's her car. Wait here."

"You expect me to wait here? What am I, some kind of lap dog you lock in the car?"

McGarrett got out of the car and took a deep breath before replying. "Not a lap dog, because I wouldn't be caught dead with one. Although," he added with a wicked grin, "you _**do**_ yip about as loudly as one. And, before I go any further, am I getting close to the point where you usually tell me to go to hell?"

Danny held up his thumb and forefinger about an inch apart. "About this close."

With a grin, he acknowledged, "Then my job is done."

"Go. To. Hell. I so hate you," Danny vowed, shaking his head and pointing his finger at his partner. "And, for the record, I don't yip. I thought I was back up."

Steve leaned down and spoke through the open door. "If it makes you feel any better, you're my back-up. In fact, while I'm talking to the governor, if I need any help at all, you'll be the first person I call."

"Yeah, well maybe I'll answer. But if you aren't back in this car in ten minutes, I'm coming to get you. I swear to God, I will."

McGarrett slammed the door, laughing as he walked away. Nearing the governor's limo, he nodded to her driver who was waiting for him to arrive. The driver opened the back door, helping Governor Jameson exit the vehicle.

"Commander, I'm sorry for all this," she began, waving her hand at their surroundings.

"It's not a problem, Ma'am. Is anything wrong?"

"I got a disturbing piece of mail this afternoon that I need to share with you." She began opening the manila envelope that was in her hands. "I'm sorry for all the cloak and dagger, but—

McGarrett saw the red dot immediately as it waivered on her forehead. "Get down!" He ordered the driver, at the same time reaching for his weapon, grabbing the governor and pushing her against the side of the car as he shielded her body.

"DANNO!"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

**Chapter 2**

Afterward, Danny struggled to remember the order of all that had happened. The passenger side of the car was open and he was stretching his legs outside while waiting. "The countdown has begun," he mumbled to himself, checking the time on his phone, watching as McGarrett reached the governor's car. Not thirty seconds later, he heard Steve yell his name. He bolted from the car, heard two 'pops' and watched the commander push the governor to the ground beside the car. Danny drew his weapon as he ran, seeing the driver/bodyguard hit the ground in front of the car, his blood spraying the car and pier.

Weapon in one hand, he reached for his phone, dialing 911. "THIS IS FIVE-0. SHOTS FIRED; OFFICER DOWN. PIER BY THE MISSOURI. REPEAT, OFFICER DOWN, NEED BACK UP."

Hearing no further shots, Williams ducked behind the limo, checking for the unknown sniper's possible location. He saw no movement and glanced at the driver, knowing from the head shot that the man was beyond anyone's help. He hadn't even gotten his weapon clear of his holster before he was hit.

"Oh, God. Oh, my God."

Williams heard the governor's frantic voice and, gun still drawn, he duck walked around the car to find her struggling to sit up while supporting McGarrett's head and shoulders in her lap.

"Help him, please, help him," she begged, looking up to the detective.

"Oh shit on a stick," Danny whispered as he dropped to his knees by her side, quickly scanning the scene once again for the absent sniper. Setting his firearm on the concrete, he asked, "Ma'am, are you injured?"

"No, I'm fine, but—"

"I know, I know," Williams tried to calm her, watching, not her but the injured man she held. _**The friggin' coward shot him in the back.**_ He pulled off his tie, and then half unbuttoned; half popped the buttons from the dress shirt, pulling it off before removing the tee shirt beneath. Quickly folding the tee, Danny pressed it against the dark, red blood that was welling up and flowing from the hole in his partner's back, soaking into the governor's skirt before staining the pier.

Governor Jameson reached up to help hold the material to the wound. "Detective, this is all my fault. I should have-"

Williams interrupted her, finally tearing his eyes away from McGarrett. "Ma'am, we do need to talk. But not here; not now, okay?" She nodded and the detective grabbed his shirt and hastily threw it back on, buttoning the buttons that were still hanging by threads, before kneeling beside his partner once again, flattening his hand next to the governor's over the make-shift bandage.

McGarrett coughed softly, and then sucked in a breath when the added pressure caused the pain to intensify, bringing him quickly back to awareness.

"Steve?" Williams leaned down close to his partner's face to speak to him. "Hey, it's okay. Don't move."

"God," he breathed, his fist reaching out to grab the front of his partner's shirt. "Danny?" The word was soft and garbled. "Danno, I called."

"I know. You did good. Just stay still. Help's on the way. I can hear the sirens." Williams knew babble when he heard it, but he was trying to reassure all three of them that everything would be all right. Even when he knew it wasn't.

Another cough and blood filled the injured man's mouth, frothy bubbles dribbling out the side. "Danno?"

"Yeah? Shh, don't talk," Williams cautioned his friend, using his thumb to wipe away some of the blood from his face. He hoped his voice and manner showed he was calm and in control, when, in reality, he was close to panic. He couldn't let Steve know how bad this was, and he couldn't lose his cool.

"Sorry 'bout… sushi." He choked on the words, causing his eyes to widen in panic. "Danny- can't..." He attempted to gulp in air, only causing him to choke again on the fluid. "Can't breathe."

Williams knew help was nearby from the sound of the sirens. He also knew he didn't have the luxury of waiting for that help to reach them. So he knowingly disobeyed the first rule he learned in emergency training: 'If at all possible, don't move an injured person'. No, wait, Danny thought. That was the second rule. The first was 'don't panic'. That ship had sailed when he bolted from the car about ten minutes ago. _**Ten minutes**_. How ironic.

"Move. Please." He ordered the governor to slide away so that he could scoot in behind the injured man. Leaning against the car door, he pulled McGarrett back against his chest, eliciting a heart-wrenching groan from the other man. "I know, I'm sorry," he apologized, still holding the now-soaked tee shirt between them. "There. Better?"

"Guess so," McGarrett whispered, choking on another ragged breath before his head lolled to the side.

"Steve? Steve! Come on; don't do this to me, man." _**I've been on this stinkin' island less than a year and I've already lost one partner. I'll be damned if I'm gonna lose another.**_

Governor Jameson quickly moved to Danny's other side, kneeled down and gently tilted McGarrett's head back. "He's passed out," she murmured, cupping his cheek in her hand. "That's probably a good thing."

"Sorry to disagree, but not so good, Ma'am." Williams pressed harder against the wound. "He's bleeding out and there's not a damn thing we can do about it. Where the hell is back up?"

When help did arrive, it was loud and fast. First around the corner was an HPD cruiser; sirens sounding and lights flashing. Behind the cruiser were Chin and Kono, who drove their car as close as they could before jumping out, weapons drawn. The officers exited the cars, weapons at the ready as they checked to secure the area.

"Williams, Five-0," Danny loudly identified himself. "I'm here with the governor." When the police officers reached them, he added, "There's a DB on the other side of the car – the driver. And you need to get her out of here," he nodded to the woman seated next to him. "At least get her into one of your cars."

"Detective, I'm fine," Jameson told them.

"Yes, ma'am, that's good," the officer agreed, "Nevertheless, all hell is gonna break loose in about a minute and you should be out of the limelight. May I help you up?"

When the governor stood, the three Five-0 team members saw the amount of blood on her clothing, before looking at the pier beneath her which was slick with blood.

"Where's the damn EMS?" Danny growled, looking up at Chin. "It's bad, man," he stated, meeting his friend's eyes. "Real bad. Look at 'im."

Chin Ho nodded in agreement. "What the hell happened?" he asked quietly, kneeling next to Williams' side and placing a hand on McGarrett's shoulder.

"I'm getting an ETA," Kono told them, as she reached for her phone. "No, never mind, they're here," she added, kneeling next to her cousin. "Finally." EMS rounded the corner with several more police cars following; the ambulance directed to the front of the pier as the cars pulled in a long line behind. In a matter of moments, the pier was crawling with HPD.

"Come on, Danny, talk to me. What can we do? Where was the sniper?" Chin asked Williams, needing to DO something constructive.

Watching while the EMS team opened the back door of the truck and unloaded the gurney and necessary equipment, he tried to focus on the question. With a jerk of his head, he replied, "He had to have been up there. On the ship. We need security footage and check for anything else –tourist logs or whatever. Chin, use HPD and if anyone gives you any lip, they answer to me."

Focusing back on the EMS team, he spoke to the woman who dropped down by his side. "He needs help fast." Williams urged. "Took a bullet in the back and he couldn't breathe lying down. I had to move him. I thought it was better for him, but then he just-"

"It's okay, sir," the young woman assured him. "We'll take over now. Aaron, get the gurney over here." She placed her fingers against McGarrett's neck, then called to her partner. "Pulse is thready, respiration's low, he's unconscious and shocky. We've got to roll."

With Chin's help, McGarrett was placed on the gurney, buckled down and a mask placed over his nose and mouth. The tech began pumping the balloon on the mask and ordered, "Okay, guys, wiki wiki," as they rolled back to the truck.

Danny stood and watched them, Kono at his side. His first frustrated reaction was to run his hands through his hair, but he looked at his hands, still slick with blood…McGarrett's blood. He splayed his fingers and turned both hands upward, staring at the wetness, then looked down at his bloody shirt… his knees where he had kneeled on the pier…and looked downward once again to the surface beneath him that was stained red. He swallowed back the urge to throw up. Crime scenes he could do. Crime scenes were impersonal and he was all business. But this was different. This was his partner. And he was seeing way too much blood.

Kono ran to the ambulance before they closed the door and quickly returned with a towel. "Here, let me help." She held one of Danny's wrists and quietly began to wipe the blood from his hand. Glancing at his face as he silently watched while she worked, she looked nervously to Chin Ho who returned to their side. They both knew a quiet Danny Williams was trouble.

Chin caught her attention and nodded, knowing exactly what she was thinking. He turned to the detective and grasped his shoulder in a strong grip. "We've got work to do, Danny. Pull it together, okay, Brah?"

Williams sucked in a deep breath and focused on the two of them. He reached for the towel, smiling at Kono. "Thanks," he whispered. He swiped at his pants, and realizing the futility of the action, let out a sigh, then cleared his throat. "Okay," he began, watching as the ambulance made a sharp turnabout and drove down the pier, before hitting the lights and siren. "First off, how the hell did the two of you get here?"

Kono answered with a chuckle. "We heard the words 'Five-0' on the police band, Chin whipped a U-turn and we booked it."

"Good," he nodded. "That's good." He looked at them with gratitude and admitted, "I need you here". He noticed the group of officers who had joined them. "You," he waved his arm in their direction, raising his voice so they could hear. "Scour that ship for anything you can find. You report only, and I repeat, _**only**_ to Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua and I don't want to hear of any back-talk, you got that? Williams nodded his thanks as the squad agreed, before turning to spread out over the Missouri.

"Are you going to the hospital?" Kono asked, taking the bloody towel back from him.

"Yeah. Later," he muttered with a jerk of his head. "Right now, the governor and I need to have a chat."

Once again, Chin grasped Danny's shoulder. "You good?"

Williams put his hands on his hips and lowered his head, noticing the governor's manila envelope, half of it wet with blood. He reached down and picked it up and watched the pooled blood drip off the corner. He then turned and growled, kicking the car's tire. Limping away from them, he yelled, "Now I'm good."

He found the governor sitting in a town car, her liaison, Laura Hills having arrived to wait with her. They both got out as he approached.

"Detective Williams, I took the liberty of calling my personal physician. He's meeting them at the hospital and will get Steve the best doctors available."

Williams nodded staring at the numerous squad cars on the pier, before turning back to the women, a look of panic on his face. "Hell, I don't even know where they took him. The military base?"

"Queens Trauma," Ms. Hills replied.

"That was my decision," Jameson told him. "Or actually, Dr. Bassett's. He's on their Board and I assure you, he'll handle whatever is necessary."

Danny nodded. "Okay, good. Thank you." He held up the envelope. "Now, about this."

"Have you looked at it?" the governor asked.

"It's not mine to see."

"Open it."

He undid the clasp and pulled out the one sheet of paper, dropping the stained envelope to the ground. The detective looked at the photo, before turning his gaze to the two women with him. "Who knew about this meeting tonight?"


	3. Chapter 3

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

**Chapter 3**

_**Saturday morning, 8:10 a.m.**_

Five-0 was waiting in the outer office when Ms. Hills opened the door to escort them into Governor Jameson's office in the capitol building.

The governor stood as they entered and stared into each tired face. "You've had a long night, haven't you? Coffee, anyone?"

"Mahalo," Kono replied for all of them.

"I've been in touch with Dr. Bassett this morning, but what have you heard?" she asked the team.

Williams shrugged his shoulders. "We heard the litany of, 'he's holding his own' and "we're cautiously optimistic" after surgery. They got the slug out, which we now have. They only let us see him in the hallway when they were moving him from recovery to ICU".

Chin added, "That was around five a.m. They were still pumping him full of blood after surgery. Unfortunately, they kicked us out and told us not to come back until this afternoon."

"Have you heard anything different?" Kono asked.

"Not really," the governor admitted with a sigh. "Dr. Bassett said the bullet wasn't near the spinal column, so, thankfully, there was no damage there. It entered between two ribs, which was a good thing, but he did have a collapsed lung. The main concern is blood loss, along with the possibility of pneumonia. The doctor said he is very lucky to be alive."

"Yeah, I'm guessing he's going to feel real lucky when he wakes up," Williams said, crossing his arms. "But when he does, I plan to have answers for him."

"As tired as you all look," Jameson replied, "I'm guessing you didn't get to bed."

They all shook their heads. "We had work to do," Chin reminded her.

"I understand," she replied with a nod. "Let's go into the conference room. I have also invited my Chief of Security, Raymond Paulson."

Paulson entered the room just as the others were getting seated. "Governor, Ms. Hills." He nodded to the two women, before turning to the Five-0 team. "Good morning. Any word on McGarrett?"

"He's alive," Williams replied, not ready to go into the chit-chat once again.

"He's a good man," Paulson commented. "Now, how can we help in finding this sniper?"

Chin began the discussion. "HPD searched the ship and it was clean. We have the bullet, but there are no unusual markings and when we ran it through CODIS, nothing popped. Whoever did this was thorough. Possibly pro."

Danny nodded. "This isn't an amateur. Now, we do have some questions for you. First, Governor, could you please walk us through the day on Friday when you received the photo? Who was there, who delivered it?"

"Let's back up," Paulson requested. "Before Governor Jameson answers that, I want to know what the implication is here."

"No implication at all," Williams replied. "We need to know the timeline on Friday. Who knew what, why, and when. Everything."

"Detective Williams, you have our full cooperation," Ms. Hills told them, opening her binder. "Governor Jameson and I have already prepared the information." She handed each of them the typed notes.

"This is detailed," Kono told them, glancing at the paper. "Thank you for your help."

Chin Ho looked up from his reading. "How many people knew about the envelope?"

"The three of us, the assistant at the front desk downstairs where it was delivered, and I believe that is all," Jameson replied.

"I shared it with my second in command," Paulson admitted. "Only for the fact that he needs to be in the loop. He is in charge of the governor's detail when I am off duty. He knows it was confidential and he would not have released the information."

"We're going to need background information on all your employees," Chin told them.

"Under _**no**_ circumstances will we release that information," Paulson replied. "Not to Five-0; not to anyone. I don't understand why you consider someone in the governor's office a threat. We vet every person we hire."

Williams leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. "I'm sure you do. But let's look at it from our point of view. A little before 8 o'clock last night, McGarrett got a phone call from the governor asking him to meet her at the Missouri. We drove straight there; he got out of the car, walked to the governor's limo and got shot in the back. You tell me who I should suspect?"

"Gentlemen!"

"I'm sorry, Governor," Danny replied, turning to stare at her. "But we need this information."

Kono added, "We would also like everyone's schedules on Friday to know who was working; who was off."

"That is privileged information," Paulson began once again. "Governor?"

Detective Williams clasped his hands in front of him on the table, the move calm and calculated. He looked only at Jameson. "Governor, you know I can make one phone call and get a warrant. I can and I will, but that will waste time that we don't have. I am asking for your cooperation."

She nodded. "And you have it, Detective." She turned to her chief. "Please secure the background checks for all of our employees and have them delivered to Five-0's headquarters no later than noon today. Kelly, could you also prepare the scheduling information?"

"Absolutely. And anything else you may need."

"We need to look at everyone; office staff, grounds staff, security, housekeeping – if they are on the payroll, we need their data," Kono added. "And thank you."

"May I call you Kono? Would you like to come with me? I can have it available in just a few minutes."

_**Saturday, Noon**_

Chief Paulson, along with another officer delivered the boxes to Five-0 Headquarters, setting them on the table Chin designated.

"Thank you," Kelly told them. "I assure everything we see will remain in confidence."

The chief nodded, then said, "I wanted to apologize. I didn't mean to sound confrontational this morning. It's just that I know the quality of people we've hired and they're all good. I swear you won't find anything here. But I wasn't trying to make your job more difficult and wanted to let you know I'm sorry. Especially about McGarrett. If there is anything I can do to help, please let me know."

"Hey, Brah, I understand where you're coming from," Chin assured him. Thanks for this. And we're not trying to start a witch-hunt. As for the help, we may be in touch. This one may consume a lot of our time and energy before it's over.

"Keep us posted. And let us know if you hear anything on McGarrett."

"Will do."

_**Saturday afternoon, 6:30 p.m.**_

"Hey, Danny. Thought you were going to meet us at the hospital," Kono said, dropping her things on her desk.

Williams glanced up from the file he was reading. "Um, yeah. I got busy here though," he said, nodding at the files spread out on the table's surface. "Trying to find anything tangible we can use."

"Any luck?" Chin asked, sitting in the chair across the table.

"Nothing. Paulson was right, everyone _**is**_ squeaky clean. So…" he glanced up at them and then quickly looked back down at the paper he was reading. "How is he?"

Kono sat down next to Williams. "Maybe you should go see him," she quietly said.

Danny swallowed and nodded. "Yeah. I will. Later. Was he awake?"

"When he came out of the anesthesia, he was fighting the ventilator, so they've got him sedated," Chin Ho replied. "But the nurse said his vitals were some better this afternoon."

"He's going to be okay, Danny," Kono assured him.

He glanced at her. "Yeah. I know. It's just…when I see him like that…it isn't really 'him'." Kono nodded, so he continued, "Steve likes to argue and he makes these weird faces when I talk to him and he's always jumping into situations with both feet before I can even try to stop him." He paused, shaking his head, rubbing at his eyes with both hands, remembering the scene from the day before. "But this time, one minute he was fine and the next he was bleeding all over that pier. And on one of my favorite shirts, I might add," he ended with a small grin. "Don't worry, Kono. I'll go see him."

"Good." She smiled at him then grabbed a folder and sat down.

"So, what's next?" Chin asked.

Williams stretched both arms in the air and then scrubbed his face, massaging his temples while blowing the air from his lungs. "Got me. I don't know, but let's go through these again. Especially the security detail. My gut tells me there's something here."

"Mine, too," Chin agreed. "But what, I don't know. Here, I read this stack last. Let's mix them up and start again. Fresh eyes and all that."

"Deal. Where you going, Kono?" he asked as she left the table. "You're not excused," he said wagging his finger at her.

"Chill, Brah. I'm ordering pizza," she replied, reaching for her cell.

"In that case, take all the time you want. And I don't want to see any fruit or hairy little fish on my slices – understand?"

"Got it, Danny. Coz, you want your usual?"

"You know it. And Danny, one of these days…I swear you're eating ham and pineapple …and you're going to love it."

"Just so you know. It will not happen. Not. In. This. Lifetime." His index finger hit the table punctuating each word. "Understood?"

"Never say never, Brah," Chin Ho replied with a grin.

"Read my lips. Nev. Er."

_**Sunday morning, 1:35 a.m.**_

Danny stood in the shadows watching through the glass into the room beyond. He clenched and unclenched his fists while the muscle in his jaw tightened to the point of pain. The small room was darkened to allow for sleep, but he took in all the equipment surrounding the bed's occupant. Steve was moving; his hand trying to reach his face, his head rolling on the pillow. Danny couldn't tell if he was awake but he heard the nurse speaking to him. "Commander, come on, we've talked about this," she gently told him, grasping his hand to keep him from reaching the tube in his throat. "It has to stay in there a while longer so your lungs can heal." She placed her other hand on his forehead and leaned close. "Everything is all right, but you need to rest. Go back to sleep."

He should go in the room and see his partner. Steve needed someone there. He needed _**him **_there. Williams unclenched his fist and took one step. He looked down at his hands and while they were now scrubbed clean, he still remembered the blood dripping down his fingers; the metallic smell still with him. As much as he knew he should be in that room, he couldn't bear seeing his tough friend lying there helpless, having to be waited on by others. And he didn't want Steve to look at him and see the guilt in Danny's own eyes because he hadn't been able to react quickly enough to keep him from being hit. In his head, Williams knew that he wasn't the one to blame, but that didn't stop the self-reproach. With one more glance toward the bed, he breathed, "Sorry, Partner. You seeing me right now probably wouldn't be a good thing. But I promise I'll find this guy. And he's going to pay."

The shadows swallowed him as he turned away, head bowed, but with a new determination to solve this.

7 | Page


	4. Chapter 4

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Sunday morning, 10:15 a.m.**_

Once again, Five-0 was in the governor's conference room, nursing their coffee, this time waiting her arrival.

Paulson arrived first and headed toward the coffee pot in the corner. "Morning, gang. Any progress?"

Danny fairly growled. "So as not to repeat ourselves, how about we wait for the governor?" Six hours of sleep in the last thirty-six wasn't enough to make him even remotely civil.

"Understood. Any change in McGarrett?"

Kono shook her head. "About the same. He's still sedated, but they've upgraded his condition from critical to serious."

"Seriously?" Willliams asked, rubbing his tired eyes. "As in he's seriously still shot?"

Kono was saved from replying by the governor's arrival.

"Sorry I'm late, but I just got off the phone with Dr. Bassett. Good news. They will try taking Steve off the ventilator sometime this afternoon. Hopefully by tonight, once the sedation wears off, he'll be awake. The doctor feels he is on the road to recovery." She smiled as she sat at the head of the table. "Now, what do we have?"

"Well, you were right," Chin began. "Seems all your employees checked out. We didn't find any red flags in the files." He pointed to a smaller table in the room. "Which we returned, by the way."

"Thanks," Paulson told him. "I'm sorry you don't have a lead, but I can't say I'm sorry you didn't find it in those boxes."

Governor Jameson sighed. "So, what now?"

"Now, we rethink the situation," Williams replied. "I know the three of us are clean," he waved his finger toward Chin and Kono, "but we've got a building full of others. "We swept our office for bugs, but found nothing, but someone knew what was going on, and when. Whoever it was managed to get to that site before we did. "

Kono held up her cellphone. "We checked all our phones for bugs, too, but someone with enough savvy can tap into cell devices and we wouldn't even know it. "

"How about McGarrett's phone?" Paulson asked.

Chin nodded. "That's the first one we checked. Nothing."

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose. "Governor, what we're saying is that we've got squat."

"I have a thought," Paulson said, gaining their attention. "Have you considered this could be random? Wrong place, wrong time? A shooter who was ready for target practice and just happened on Governor Jameson and McGarrett?"

"At precisely the time the governor was sharing a tell-tale photo with a bulls-eye on Steve's face? I'm going with 'not likely'," Danny argued. "We have to find a connection. And that indicates a leak."

Jameson stood and leaned both hands on the table. "Well, I have a suggestion. No, actually I have an order." She crossed her arms and stared at the people before her. " Since you are _**my**_ task force, I'm ordering you all to go home and get some sleep then eat a decent meal before you meet again." She held up her hand for silence when Williams started to protest. "Detective, no arguments. The next time I see you, I want you alert. I am not giving up – we _**will**_ find this person. I know you three are the best. Steve wouldn't have chosen you if you weren't. But you're tired and not thinking clearly. And that's when mistakes happen." She turned to stare each of them in the eye. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Ma'am," Chin Ho told her, rising.

Kono grinned. "I hope your orders include a long, hot shower, Ma'am."

"Absolutely," she smiled back, then turned to Williams. "Danny?"

He stared at her and then nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. I understand. And…thanks."

"Go. I'll see you tomorrow morning. And not sooner. And, we _**will**_ find this person."

_**Sunday evening, 8:45 p.m.**_

Danny Williams was quiet and unmoving, which most people would find totally out of character. Today, after some much-needed sleep, his fears from the night before had been laid to rest. He was here, watching over his partner, right where he needed to be.

Danny could be patient when the situation warranted. A few years of New Jersey stakeouts had engrained that quality into his psyche. This was one of those waiting times. He sat in the uncomfortable chair, elbows on his knees, and chin in his hands. Watching. And willing to wait it out. Steve had been taken off the respirator around five and they had moved him from ICU into this suite shortly thereafter. Glancing around the room, Williams was still in awe that it was actually a hospital room. Aside from the fact that it held a hospital bed and related medical stuff, the rest of it looked like the Ritz. Teak furniture lined the wall and inside an armoire on the wall opposite the bed was a 32-inch flat screen. Quiet, canned music was coming from somewhere and the two windows in the corners were covered in real drapes, not those noisy blinds most hospitals have.

"Steven, my boy," he muttered, "knowing the governor sure gives you perks. Although getting yourself shot shouldn't be one of them. But we sure could watch some _**serious**_ football on this baby," he mumbled, looking longingly at the TV.

Dark blue eyes opened slowly to half mast, then swiftly closed. McGarrett took a steadying breath before the lashes opened once again, blinking against the light and focusing on his visitor.

Williams' breathed a sigh of relief and jumped from the chair, moving to stand by the bed. His vigil was over.

"Wakey, wakey."

"You're starin' at me." The voice was gravelly and weak from abuse and unuse.

Danny leaned over the bed rail and didn't even attempt to hide the goofy grin on his face. "Good to know that all that SEAL training hasn't been lost, because I _**am**_ staring. Just trying to decide if you look more like Sleepy, Dopey or Grumpy."

"Don't do that." The order was half-hearted, but McGarrett couldn't let a Williams' barb fly by without a reply.

"Ah, there it is. And Grumpy wins." Danny sobered before adding, "I knew if I waited long enough, you'd eventually open those baby blues."

McGarrett closed his eyes once again in an attempt to clear his foggy brain. The hospital smell was already making him nauseous, so he knew where he was…but didn't remember how he got there. Swallowing against the bile in his throat, and cursing his faulty brain, he had to ask, "What happened?"

"The quick answer is, 'you got shot'."

"You shot me?"

"Me?" Williams held up both hands, his thumbs pointing to his chest. "No, course not. Why'd you think that?"

"You threaten it all the time," he mumbled. Keeping his eyes open was becoming a chore.

"Yeah, well, so far I've managed to control myself. No, I didn't shoot you."

Steve blinked, determined to remain awake. He turned his head, checking the room. "Where's-?"

"Relax. Everyone's fine. But you're—"

"What day is it?"

"Ah, this would be Sunday night."

"Sunday…?"

"Don't hurt yourself screwing your face up like that," Williams warned with a smile. "Just take it easy. What's the last thing you remember?"

"Um…sushi? Maybe? He let out a frustrated sigh. "Hell, I don't know-"

"That was Friday. But we never made it to the sushi bar."

McGarrett looked puzzled. "Don't remember."

"Well, that's probably a good thing, 'cause you wouldn't have liked it," Danny assured him quietly. "After you got shot, you had surgery on your lung, and, until this afternoon," he pointed to his own mouth, "had the whole garden hose stuffed down your throat thing going on. They said you were awake a couple of times yesterday, so just be glad you don't remember."

McGarrett tried to take stock of his battered body and decided there weren't many places that didn't hurt. He raised his hand to find a clamp on his finger and an IV taped to his arm. Struggling to lift the other hand, he discovered that arm also weighted down with IVs. With a grunt, he pulled off the clamp, a corresponding keening wail coming from a machine beside the bed.

Danny held both hands up in the 'halt' position. "Hey, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but I'm fairly certain they wanted that thingy on your finger."

Next, hooking his finger around the tubing of the nasal cannula, Steve pulled it away from his nose, another beep chiming in on the equipment.

"Geez, Steve, that one, too? Don't go thinking you're ripping out those IVS, 'cause I swear I'll stop you."

"Get in line behind me, Detective." A petite, middle-aged nurse wearing cartoon-print scrubs quickly pushed open the door and bee-lined toward the bed.

"Can you tell me why all the bells and whistles at my nursing station started going off?" she asked, reaching for the oxygen tubing.

"Bad equipment?" McGarrett guessed.

"Hasn't been conscious all weekend, just wakes up and already he has an akamai mouth," she muttered, not so gently reapplying the tubing before silencing the beep on the machine.

Steve's eyes widened and he cut a glance at Danny, who was unsuccessfully attempting to stifle an evil grin.

"You may have just met your match," Williams whispered, the grin growing wider. "She's small, but I'm guessing she might put a 'whump on you' like my Granny used to say."

Leaning over the bed, she added with a nod, "Commander, it's good to see you awake. My name's Kali and I am your nurse this afternoon. Now, that cannula stays up your nose, got it?" she ordered, pointing her finger in his face. She then picked up the discarded clamp with one hand and McGarrett's hand with the other.

" 'M fine. Don't need this stuff." He attempted a half-hearted smile as he tried to convince her, but glancing at what he considered the evil look on her face, even he knew it was hopeless.

"Mm hmm. I can see that you're fine. And I've heard all about you, so you can cut the bull." She glared at him, adding, and "One word of warning. I know you're used to being the person in charge. But not here – I'm the boss, not you." She reattached the clamp to his finger and saw him flinch.

"Ouch." He gave her his best puppy-dog look, the one that had worked on females for pretty much his entire life, blinking at her through tired, heavy eyes.

"That hurts?" She shook her head in a gesture of disappointment. "And I thought you Navy boys were tougher than that. You've got a hole the size of Maui in your lung and my tiny little pulse ox hurts your finger. You poor thing."

Williams snickered. "Now I _**know**_ you've met your match. You might as well throw in the towel now."

"Can't believe you were talking about me when I couldn't defend myself," he whined.

"Hey, she didn't hear anything from me."

"I got my information straight from the governor, Commander. She sat us all down for a 'Come-to-Jesus' meeting while you were still in recovery. Wanted to make sure we were going to take good care of you."

Danny saw in Steve's eyes the moment his memory returned and he quickly moved to the opposite side of the bed in anticipation. "Hey! – don't—"

McGarrett raised his head off the bed, panic in his eyes. "Jameson?—"

Fiery pain sliced through him from his back to his chest, then to all extremities, slamming him so hard that he couldn't remember to breathe.

"Whoa, whoa, hang on," the nurse ordered, placing one hand against his chest and the other behind his head to guide him back onto the pillow. "Slow down. You're not going anywhere. Breathe for me. Come on." Her gruff demeanor changed as she spoke in a calming voice, rubbing her hand on his chest. "It's okay, just breathe." She reached for the button on one of the IVs and pressed it. "You've got a morphine pump attached to the IV and I just dosed you. It will take it a minute or two to kick in, so try to relax until then." She turned to Danny. "And I think he's done for the night."

"No," McGarrett whispered, opening his eyes to frantically search for his partner. "Talk."

"Hey, it's all right. It can wait until tomorrow."

"No." He shook his head, gasping in air while trying to think clearly, "No, it can't. The governor? Is she okay?"

"Yes, she's fine. I swear."

Kali added, "She's very concerned about you, though. And I have to answer to her, so don't do anything stupid."

McGarrett squeezed his eyes shut once again, forcing himself to remember, recreating in his mind the last meeting he had with Governor Jameson.

"That envelope? Danny, what was in the envelope?"

"Remember the photo taken of our team on the steps of the court house last month?"

"Yeah. Stupid photographer."

"Well, Jameson got it in the mail…with red crosshairs drawn on all of our faces."

He thought for a moment trying to process what he remembered. "So…if crosshairs were on us… she's not the target."

"Apparently not. We're still piecing everything together." He leaned over the bed, glancing at the nurse for permission. "Now, just one more question, and I'll leave. Did you see the shooter?"

The commander thought once again. "No, nothing."

"Then how did you know—"

McGarrett turned his head to stare at him. "-I saw the bead on her forehead and reacted." In his mind, the reason was a no-brainer.

Danny was silent a moment before slowly nodding his head and replying, "Of course you did. No surprise there. I swear, next time we leave the office, I'm making sure you wear a vest."

Steve gave him a ghost of a grin. "Might make the governor a bit paranoid."

"She'll adapt. Don't worry, we'll figure all this out. Get some rest and I'll be back tomorrow. Chin and Kono, too." He slapped at McGarrett's foot beneath the blanket as he walked around the bed. "You behave yourself."

"Do I have a choice?"

"Not a one," Kali told him as Williams walked toward the door.

"Hey, Danno?

Williams heard the pain and fatigue in his partner's voice and turned around. "Yeah?"

"Be careful."

"Always." He turned to leave once again.

"Hey."

Danny gave him a mock groan. "Come on, McGarrett. Would you shut it and let me get out of here? One of us needs to do some work. And since you're the one lying down on the job…"

"Danny? The driver?"

The detective sighed and turned back around, slowly shaking his head. "Sorry, Steve."


	5. Chapter 5

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

**Chapter 5**

_**Monday morning, 7:10 am.**_

"Looks like I'm just in time for breakfast!" Williams said, pushing open the door and walking into McGarrett's hospital room.

Steve turned from staring out the window. "Have at it…I'm not eating that shit."

"Doesn't look so bad."

He received the 'McGarrett death glare'. "I dare you to get a whiff of it and then eat it."

Williams moved closer to the bed. "Maybe you've got a point. You feeling any better?"

"Don't ask." McGarrett scrubbed his hand through his hair. "I can't stand being cooped up like this. And they won't even let me out of bed." His hand slid down his face and he touched the oxygen tubing. "And I'm ready to choke someone with this thing," he admitted, rubbing his nose.

"Partner, we came pretty close to losing you. You're going to have to be patient for a while longer. But I'll open the drapes wider so you can see the sunshine if that will help."

"Bite me."

Kali knocked on the half-opened door and came into the room. "Are you whining again, Commander?"

"Don't you start, too, Rocky."

"Excuse me?" Danny asked. "Who's Rocky?"

"Yesterday, that shirt she wore had Rocky and Bullwinkle on it," McGarrett explained. "Every time I opened my eyes, I'd see them. Had a nightmare I was being chased by squirrels."

"And you-? Okay, Kali, one thing you need to know. This man," gesturing toward the bed with both hands, "loves nicknames. Trust me. You just have to ignore him."

"Well today, I guess I'll be Sponge Bob," she replied, looking down at her yellow print top.

"Nah, Rocky it is."

"At least it's better than Bullwinkle," Danny added with a wink in her direction. "Say, weren't you here on late shift last night?" he asked as she moved the breakfast tray out of the way.

"Twelve on/twelve off for three days running," she replied. "Then four days off." She pointed to the food on the tray. "You're going to eat some of that, you know," she told her patient.

"Not likely in this life-."

Williams' ringing telephone interrupted him. "Hey, Chin, what's up?" After listening a moment, he turned and walked toward the window, his voice low. "When? How bad? Okay, I'll be right there."

He cut off the phone call and turned around. "Something's come up and I need to go." He reached the door while talking. "I'll check back with you later. Kali, he wants to go outside, so don't let him escape."

"Danny, cut the crap. What happened?"

"Just a lead I need to check out. Don't worry – I'll be back." He raced out the door before McGarrett had the chance to reply.

"Damn it, Danny," he yelled. "What the hell's going on?" He grabbed the bed rail and hauled himself up before falling sideways onto one elbow. "Shit," he groaned, leaning his head against the side railing of the bed while trying to catch his breath.

"Calm down," the nurse ordered. "I'm sure it's nothing."

"You don't know my partner. It _**is**_ something." He raised his head to glance around the room. "Where's my phone?"

"Doesn't matter where it is, you're not using it."

"Come on, please." He looked up at her and snagged the sleeve of her top with his fingers. "I'll do whatever you ask, but this is important – they're my team and something has happened. Please."

She knew he wouldn't be satisfied until she found him a phone. Kali settled him back against the pillows and picked up the small glass of juice from the breakfast tray. "Here. Drink. I'll go see if they have your personal belongings locked up at the nurses' station. But I can't promise anything."

The nurse returned to find McGarrett still holding the full glass of juice, staring once again out the window. Startled, he turned. "Well?"

"All your personal stuff was signed over to Detective Williams on Friday night. But…" she pulled her own phone from her pocket. "Against my better judgment, you can call. Just promise me you won't blow a gasket."

"Thank you." He stared at the juice in his hand and hesitated putting it down. "Please don't make me drink this."

She nodded, taking it from him. "You can drink it later. Do you have a number to call?"

He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, thinking. "All I do is hit a button on my phone. I don't remember the numbers. Okay, call Kono. Chin or Danny would probably lie to me. Her number is 777.7543. Hell, I think that's it."

"Okay, look at me," Kali said. "It's going on speaker so I can listen, too. If you get upset, mad, crazy, huh u on me, I'm hanging up. I know you _**think**_ you're up to this, but I know you're not. Clear?"

He nodded and tried to take a deep breath, grimacing at the pain in his chest. Breathing through it, he replied, "Crystal. Hurry."

She dialed the number and pressed the button for the speaker. He heard it ring, muttering, "Come on, pick up, Kono."

"This is Kelly."

"Chin?"

"Boss? How—"

"What's going on? And why are you answering Kono's phone?"

"What the hell's he doing on the phone?" Danny's voice yelled in the background.

"I need answers, Chin. Where are you and how did Danny get there so fast and WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?"

"Brah, everything is fine." In the background, McGarrett could hear "Let me talk to him. That moron can't trust us to do anything."

"Chin, please. Talk to me."

"Steve, everything's going to be all right. Kono was hit this morning, but she's okay. They are patching her up now. In fact, we're downstairs in ER."

"Hit? Shot? What the hell happened? Where?" He slammed his fist into the tray table, sending it to the bottom of the bed, upending the glass of juice onto the blanket.

"Okay, that's enough! Time's up," the petite nurse ordered. "Gentlemen, Mr. McGarrett is officially out of pocket for the rest of the day."

"No," Steve grabbed for the cell phone. "Give it to me," he pleaded. "Chin said they're downstairs." She held the phone out of his reach and he slammed his hand against the bed rail in frustration, trying to catch a decent breath so he could speak. "If…if Kono's all right, prove it. Bring her here before you take her home. I need to know she's okay."

"Hey, stop worrying. Everything's under control," Chin told him as Kali ended the call.

She put the phone back in her pocket, closely watching her patient. His eyes were squeezed shut and one hand was tugging at his hair. The muscle in his jaw was throbbing from tension. Quietly, she reached for the morphine drip and pressed the button before he realized she had done it.

He opened pain-filled eyes and saw her hand on the button. "Quit doing that," he mumbled. "Not fair."

"That button is for you to manage your own pain, but since you won't use it, I will. You said you would do anything I asked. So, talk to me and tell me how you feel. And be honest."

McGarrett shook his head, tried to shrug, and then made a face at the pain the movement caused. Closing his eyes, he finally conceded, "I've got a headache."

"And?" she continued while lowering the head of the bed.

"My back hurts like hell. And…and my chest feels like an elephant's sitting on it," he grudgingly admitted.

She nodded. "Thought so. The morphine will help that. Now, lay there and relax – one of us has to clean up this mess."

5-0

"Commander? Are you awake."

"What?" He blinked awake to find the nurse leaning over him. She pointed to the opposite side of the bed.

"Hey, Boss."

"Kono." He quickly rolled his head to the opposite side, looked her over and breathed a sigh of relief. "You really are okay?"

"I'm fine, just a little scratch. See?" She moved aside the tee shirt on her left shoulder, showing him a small white square of gauze. Pointing behind her with her thumb, she added, "He was the one having a cow."

"Family takes care of family," Chin explained. "And this could have been a lot worse."

"Damn straight," Williams agreed. "Nobody messes with us. Hey, we swore we would be in and out of here in two minutes, so we're taking Kono home. I'll stop by and see you tonight."

McGarrett turned back to Kono. "Where were you when you were hit?"

"Okay, stop with the interrogation. We've got this," Danny warned.

"Kono, where?"

She looked to the nurse for approval and received an exasperated nod as assent. "Running on the beach near my place."

"According to bystanders, no one saw anything," Chin added. "HPD is canvassing the area, but it looks to be another clean hit. No witnesses, no evidence."

Steve looked at each of his team members. "Be careful out there. And don't trust anyone. Kono, you behave yourself."

She reached down and squeezed his hand, feeling him return her grip. "Back at'cha, Boss Man," she replied with a dimpled grin. "See you later."

He watched his team leave, then turned toward the nurse. "Thanks," he told her with a sheepish grin. "Sorry for the mess. Can I ask another favor?"

"Well, you can ask," she began. "But my quota for favors is just about tapped out for the day."

"Got any aspirin? I've got a real bitch of a headache."

"I do have something to help that," she agreed with a grin. "And you can swallow it down with juice…if you can manage not to spill it all again."

_**Monday morning, 9:35 a.m.**_

"Okay, Kono are you ready for your big performance?" Williams asked as she settled into a wheelchair.

"I was born ready, Dude," she replied with a grin. She reached up and removed the clip from her hair, shaking it out and pulling it down toward her face. "Does my public await?"

"Danny, I tried to warn you - she was born a drama queen," Chin added, smiling down at his younger cousin as he took hold of the wheelchair's handles. "And there are newscasters from at least three stations out there."

"Good," she replied, smiling in anticipation. "I want to put those college acting classes to use."

"Are we good to go?" Danny asked the nurse with them.

"Absolutely, but let me push the wheelchair," she replied. "You two open the doors and look properly 'concerned' for our patient. And you, Missy, you need to look like you're in pain."

"Here we go," Danny mumbled. "Lights. Camera. Action."

He opened the double doors and held them open for the nurse to push the wheel chair out the door. Kono listed sideways in the chair, holding on to her injured arm which was now inside a sling. Behind her, Chin followed closely, overseeing her exit.

The news crews rushed forward to speak to them.

"Detective? Is this shooting related to Commander McGarrett's? What's happening to Five-0?"

"No comment," Williams repeated to them as he cleared a pathway from the sidewalk to the car.

"Ma'am, how do you feel?" one newscaster asked.

Chin got between the reporter and Kono. "Get that camera out of her face," he growled. "We said 'no comment'." Once they reached the car, Danny opened the door and Chin gently helped Kono into the back seat. Before she got into the car, she turned toward the cameras, allowing them to see her eyes, rimmed with unshed tears. Danny went to the driver's side as Chin opened the passenger door and they pealed out of the lot leaving the reporters behind.

"Good job, Kono. You are definitely Emmy material. Although how you cried on cue is beyond me."

"Piece of cake. Now, do you think they bought it that I'm injured?" she asked, pulling the sling off her arm and clipping her hair back out of her face.

"Hope so," Chin replied. "If we can keep you out of the limelight, folks will think you are out of action. We may be able to use that to our advantage."

"You'll be our 'ace'," Williams agreed. "Don't know how we will use it, but the fewer people who know you are okay, the better. And for the record, we aren't telling the governor and her staff either."

"Hey, I had a thought," Kono began. "Did anyone check out the nurse taking care of Steve? She saw me and knows I'm okay."

"We ran backgrounds on everyone working that floor," Chin admitted. "She's good. But, I guess this means you won't be going to our meeting with the governor today."

"Break my heart," she replied. "Just give me computer access and I'll do some more research. I still feel like we're missing something."

"We're with you on that one, Babe," Danny agreed for both he and Chin.

_**Monday afternoon, 4:15 p.m.**_

"And you're sure that poor girl will be okay?" Governor Jameson asked.

Chin replied with a smile, "We took Kono to her momma's house to recuperate. With all the aunties around, she won't be able to do anything but get better."

"Detectives," she said with a shake of her head. "I am so sorry. I keep racking my brain trying to figure out what this vendetta is about."

"Well, apparently," Danny drawled, scratching the side of his nose, "Someone doesn't like us very much."

"We do have another worry," Paulson told them. "Although it looks as though Five-0 is the target, what if this person is also after the governor?"

"Raymond, that's speculation," she told him.

"Yes, but it is a valid point. And with tomorrow's gala, we all need to be on our toes.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Danny's arms flailed in the air. "Did you say, 'a Gala'? You're throwing a party?"

"It slipped my mind to mention it with everything else going on" Jameson admitted. "In fact, that is where Laura is today – making final preparations. The Prime Minister of Thailand and his wife are visiting and we are having an event at the Palace." She held up her hand when he opened his mouth. "And, no, I can't or won't cancel it. I'll be fine."

"Look, I know you guys still don't trust me or my staff, but I might have an idea to draw out this person," Paulson told them, placing his palms on the table. "Can I run it past you?"

"We're all ears," Danny replied.

"Let's use the party to our benefit. We need to publicize that the two of you will be there with the Governor's detail. My people will also be there providing security. If this perp shows up, we'll get him…no matter whom he is after – Five-0 or the governor."

"I have one concern," Chin replied. "What if, knowing Five-0 is at the party, this person goes after McGarrett again?"

Governor Jameson steepled her hands on the table. "Well, we just have to make sure they won't, now don't we?"

"Sounds like you have a plan," Chin commented, turning toward her.

"It just so happens that I do," she replied, smiling at them. "There is a guest house on the property of the governor's mansion. It is nice and secluded and I can arrange for Steve's nurse to attend him there. We can get everything today that we need for his care and have him moved late tonight. No one outside this room will know where he has been taken. How's that?"

Danny nodded as Chin agreed, "Definitely a plan. Just one question," he asked with a grin. "Who gets to tell the Boss Man?"


	6. Chapter 6

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

_**Chapter 6**_

_**Monday evening, 8:36 p.m.**_

Williams once again pushed open the hospital room door, anxious to lay out the plan for McGarrett. Kali saw him and held up her hand for silence, then walked toward him, away from the bed.

"What's wrong?" he whispered.

"Just hasn't been a good day," she admitted, glancing back at her patient. "He finally fell asleep and I hope he'll stay that way for a while."

"Aren't you way past your 'twelve on' hours? Won't your family come looking for you?"

"My ex would cringe if he thought he had to see me again and my daughter lives in San Diego, so I don't answer to anyone." She grinned sheepishly. "Besides, even though he's a pain in the backside, I was worried about him," she admitted, glancing back at the bed. "He's running a fever and can't keep food down. Still needs the pain meds, but he fights me every chance he gets."

Danny grinned, glancing toward his sleeping partner. "Welcome to my world. Is the fever bad?"

"It's just his body trying to fight infection. He needs time to heal and he is fighting that, too."

"Now that's a surprise."

They heard a cough, then a groan from the bed and both went to check the patient.

"Are you going to be sick again?" Kali asked, reaching for a basin.

McGarrett was lying on his side, one arm protectively holding his stomach. "God, I hope not," he whispered, then opened one eye to see that his partner had returned. "Got your sidearm with you?"

"Always."

He motioned with his fingers. "Gimme."

"What? Do you really think I'm going to let you _**shoot**_ her?"

"Not her. Me." He groaned once again for effect. "Kill me now and be done with it."

Kali laughed and rubbed her patient's shoulder in sympathy. "I've learned that there's one rough and tough Navy SEAL who hates needles and can't stand to puke."

"No needles, huh?" Williams grinned.

"Not funny, Danno."

"No, it's not," he agreed. "But speaking of this conversation... We have a plan to catch this slime bucket, but I need help from the two of you."

"Detective, I'll do anything I can to help," the nurse promised, "but your partner is out of commission. There's not a chance in hell I'm letting him do anything."

"And that's the plan."


	7. Chapter 7

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Tuesday morning, 10 a.m.**_

Governor Pat Jameson stepped up to the microphone set up at the base of the steps of Five-0 headquarters. Laura Hills and Chief Paulson were on one side; Detective Williams and Chin Ho Kelly on the other.

"It is with deep regret that I read the following statement," the governor began. "At 4:36 a.m. today, Lieutenant Commander Steven J. McGarrett, U.S. Navy and Head of my Task Force on Crime succumbed to injuries he received on Friday evening in what appears to have been an attack on my life. I am deeply indebted to the Commander for his act of heroism. Commander McGarrett and his "Five-0" team in a very short time have been instrumental in removing crime from our islands and his insight and expertise will be gravely missed. Additionally, another team member, Kono Kalukaua, was injured yesterday morning in a separate attack. It is still unclear if both incidences are related. While the future of this newly-formed task force is unsure, at the present time Detectives Daniel Williams and Chin Ho Kelly along with my security staff will be partnering to find the perpetrator or perpetrators of these crimes."

Amid the camera flashes and the microphones in their faces, she continued. "No questions, please, but Detective Williams would like to make a statement."

Stepping to the microphone, Danny stared into the cameras, his jaw line rigid. His comment was terse, and to the point. "Today, Hawaii has lost a good man." He paused, taking a breath. "But _**we**_ have lost a friend. All leads in this case are being thoroughly examined and I urge you - if anyone has any information leading to the apprehension of a suspect, we ask that you contact our office. All leads will be investigated and will remain anonymous. Rest assured we _**will**_ find the person who did this." He paused once again before finishing his statement. "And make no mistake… justice will be served. Thank you."

_**Tuesday afternoon, 6:12 p.m.**_

Danny's ringing telephone interrupted his concentration and he answered the call, fully expecting his ex-wife's voice. Instead, Grace greeted him, her voice hiccupping on a sob. "Daddy. I want to see you. I don't want Steve to be dead. Why did someone have to shoot him? Now nobody can watch your back."

He smacked his forehead with his open palm while mentally kicking himself. Repeatedly. _**Of all the stupid things, Williams.**_ He had been so caught up in the investigation that he totally forgot all about family. _**His**_ family. And she called him 'Daddy'. She only did that when she was super upset.

"Oh, Baby, I'm so sorry. Yes, I should have called you. Sweetheart, listen to me…please don't cry, Gracie. Listen to Danno. It is going to be all right. I promise. We're going to get this bad man and then I can come see you. "Grace…Monkey, don't worry. Everything's going to be okay."

"But we won't have Steve."

His heart was breaking for his daughter. And he was angry at his own stupidity. "Grace, listen to me. You know Danno doesn't lie to you, right? Everything will be okay. Now, can I talk to Mom?"

"She's mad at you."

"Yeah, I'm mad at me, too. You know Danno loves you, don't you?"

"Love you, too. Danno," she paused, another sob echoing through the phone. "Be careful. Don't let anyone shoot you, too."

"I won't, Gracie. I promise."

He heard her hand over the phone and spoke, "Rachel, I'm so—"

"Danny Williams, how heartless can you be to let your child hear something like this on the television? You should have called."

"Okay, Rachel, yes, I should have called. It was stupid of me. But how the hell did I know our daughter even watched the Five O'clock News, huh? I've been a little busy here."

Her voice softened. "I know you have, Danny. I'm sorry. I know you and the commander were good friends. And he seemed like a great guy. Grace really liked him."

"Rach, you need to listen to me…this is important." Fearing a bug in the office or on his phone, he knew he couldn't say the words she and Grace needed to hear. "Don't just listen to my voice, but hear what I'm saying, okay? Everything will be all right. _**Every**_thing. I swear." "When this is over, we will _**all**_ be okay. Try to let Gracie know that."

"Um…okay, Danny. I'll tell her. When you get a chance, why don't you come by and see her?"

"I will…as soon as this mess is over, I'll be there. And I'll explain everything. And…Rach. Give her a hug for me, okay?"

"Take care of yourself, Daniel."

"Always."


	8. Chapter 8

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Tuesday evening, 7:20 p.m.**_

"I've got eyes on you guys," Kono spoke into her microphone from the surveillance van. "Say something for me."

"The governor sure knows how to throw a party, doesn't she?" Chin asked.

"That she does," Danny agreed. "Kono?"

"Loud and clear. Let's do this."

The guys watched from their vantage point of the balcony overlooking the terrace of the palace. "Now I know how a sitting duck feels," Danny mumbled. "You think anyone will show?"

Chin shrugged. "Don't know, Brah. Something just doesn't feel right."

"Tell me about it. But if someone wants us, we've advertised enough that we will be here. And there's enough manpower on the site to take down this guy."

"Can we get a roll call?" Chin asked, keying in the signal for the entire security detail. "Everyone in place?" The governor's staff and HPD began affirming their positions."

"Anybody hear Paulson in that roll?" Danny asked. "Is everything OK?"

"Detective, this is Laura. Ray is with the governor. In fact, here they come now."

All guests turned toward the doorway as Governor Jameson and Prime Minister Siram and his wife exited to greet them. Paulson and several of his men were in a half-circle behind the guests. Paulson glanced up to Kelly and Williams and nodded, acknowledging their presence before returning his attention to the guests.

_**Tuesday evening, 7:40 p.m.**_

"McGarrett, are you in the kitchen again?"

A slamming drawer was Kali's only answer until she caught the culprit slinking back to the bedroom.

"I am really sorry I unhooked that IV," she told her patient, as she stood in the bedroom doorway, hands on her hips. "You haven't rested since you've been here."

"Hey, I'm in the governor's guest house. I just want to check it out," McGarrett complained, easing down on a chair in front of the window. "You know, see how the other half live."

"Well, check out the bed and see how the other half sleep. And that's an order," she added, pointing to the king-sized bed.

"You're just like the Wicked Witch," he muttered.

I heard that," she replied, leaving the room. "And I'm not _**that**_ old."

Ten minutes later, he came into the great room where she was attempting to read a book. Sighing, she looked at him and once again, marked her spot. "What now? Aren't you afraid I'll smack you with my broom?"

He looked sheepish, carefully sitting down onto the couch. "Sorry," he apologized. "I guess I'm bored," he finally admitted.

"And you're worried about your team," she deduced.

"Yeah, maybe that, too."

"Do you feel like watching TV?" she offered. "It might take your mind off things."

"Can I have my phone?"

"No. And if you ask again, I _**will**_ use a broom on you. Do you want to watch TV or not?"

"Not really. But we can watch in here," he said, trying to get comfortable. "I'm sick of being in bed."

Kali shook her head and stood. "Unfortunately for you, that's where you still need to be…how about I turn on the TV in the bedroom and I'll come in there to watch with you. Lord knows you don't look so comfy on the couch." She reached down a hand to help haul him up. "Let's go, big guy. It's time for your meds anyway."

With her help, he got back up. "Yeah, all you want to do is drug me into submission so I'll leave you alone."

"That plan does have its merit," she admitted with a chuckle. "Now, get in there. I'll get you a bottle of water."

"A beer would be nice."

"Yes, it would, and after you go to sleep, I might just have one."

"Sadist."

"McGarrett, you flatter me."

_**Tuesday**__** evening, 8:45 p.m.**_

The party droned on and Williams was bored. "Jeez Louise, how much longer? I'm gonna go to sleep and fall off this balcony if they don't shut up soon."

"Know what you mean, Brah. Kono, any luck in finding anything on facial recognition?"

"Nothing," she told them, sounding very disgusting. "I'm beginning to think this whole thing is a bust. Hang on, I've got a call."

"Guys," Kono came back online, toggling the channel for only her Five-0 team. "I need to talk to you. Now. In person."

Chin and Danny glanced at each other and immediately left the balcony. "On our way."

They jumped into the surveillance van, asking "What's up?" before the door was closed.

"You won't believe this," Kono began. "But you asked the public for tips after the press conference, and HPD has been getting some calls. "I've been trying to run through each one, and this may be nothing, but you need to see it."

"Spill it, Cos."

"Look at this," she pulled up a view of a street scene taken from a traffic cam. "This footage was taken the morning I was shot. A woman called saying she saw a man running down the street away from the beach around this time. I pulled up the traffic cam to check the cars, just on the chance that something might stand out. And I got a hit on the license tag of this Lexus."

"I'll bite. Who?" Danny asked.

"Raymond Paulson."

He slammed his hand against the side of the van. "No frickin' way. Are you positive?"

She shrugged. "That's what DMV says. Could be coincidence."

Chin shook his head, his eyes turning to steel. "The governor asked where you were when you were shot. I told her. Paulson didn't mention that he was there yesterday morning. This is no coincidence."

"So what's his game?" Kono asked them.

In unison, they answered, "Steve".

Williams keyed his mike. "HPD, come in. Any eyes on Raymond Paulson?"

He received no answer on the radio, but reached into his pocket as his cell began to ring.


	9. Chapter 9

_**ok, this is a do-over. I found too many mistakes in what I had just posted. Sorry about that.**_

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

_**Chapter 9**_

_**Tuesday evening, 9:05 p.m.**_

Kali peered over the top of her book, checking her patient. It had taken almost an hour, but he had finally shut up and gone to sleep. Amidst protest. Lots and lots of protest. She hadn't managed to finish another paragraph when she heard a pop and the house went dark.

She dropped her book and reached over to the bed, grasping his arm. "Steve? Wake up."

"I heard it," he told her, coming immediately awake. "Power's been cut. Have you heard anything else?"

"No," she told him. "Wait, yes…I hear glass breaking."

He managed to slide off the bed to his knees and with her help, climbed to his feet and whispered in her ear. "Listen to me and do what I say, understand? Now, I'm in charge."

She knew she should disagree, but could tell he had already gone into military mode, so she nodded her agreement. There would be time later to argue with him. She hoped.

He took her arm and guided her around the bed in the darkened room. Feeling the wall, he pushed open the bathroom door. "Go in and lock the door behind you." He moved his hand from her arm onto her shoulder and squeezed. "No matter what, don't open this door until you hear from me. You got that?"

"Not going to happen. You can't-"

"I'll be fine-but I can't watch out for you. Either lock the door or I block it with the chair. Your choice. And be quiet, but call Danny." He pushed her inside and closed the door, waiting to listen for the lock to turn. "Kali, lock it." Satisfied at the click, he felt his way back to the bed and climbed in.

McGarrett saw the pencil thin beam of light before the perp reached the bedroom door. With his eyes barely open, he feigned sleep …waiting.

The light panned over the room before settling on the bed. Steve turned, as if in sleep, to keep from being blinded by the light in his eyes. He wasn't sure what to expect, but the slap on the side of his head wasn't it.

"Wake up, Mr. Five-0. Where's the bitch nurse?"

"Aah! …huh?" He opened his eyes to stare at the gun in his face.

"I asked you a question. Where is the woman?" The flashlight had returned to blind him.

"Don' know," Steve slurred, rubbing his hand over his eyes. "Was sleepin'. Wha's wrong? Who're you?"

"Me? You want to know who I am. Well, I'll tell you, Mr. Smart Ass Navy SEAL. I'm your successor in Five-0. Upon your untimely demise, of course," Raymond Paulson proudly told him with a chuckle. "It's a pity you won't be around to see me in action."

McGarrett struggled to sit up in the bed, breathing heavily before he spoke, giving an illusion of near helplessness. "And your name is?"

The deranged man chuckled. "You really don't know, do you?" Paulson asked. "Well, you should. You see, I am the one," he yelled, punctuating the air with the weapon, "whose job you stole. It should have been mine. The governor had been talking about a task force for several months before _**you **_came on the scene. I had even sat in on some of the meetings. My resume was polished and ready to present to her, but then you waltzed in. When dear old daddy died, you royally messed up my life."

The agitated man ran the hand without the gun through his thinning hair. "Jameson took one look at you with all those shiny medals on your chest and all of a sudden, no one else was good enough to lead her 'elite' force. It was 'McGarrett this' and 'Steve can do that'," he added in a falsetto voice. "I cannot stand to hear your name."

"Sorry."

"Yeah, you're sorry, all right," he replied with a nod. "Or you will be." Paulson leveled the gun.

"Wait."

"I don't think so."

Steve kicked out with one foot, landing a blow to Paulson's crotch. The man doubled but kept a tight grip on the gun. McGarrett rolled from the bed, in the same motion slicing the other man's arm with a butcher knife he had pilfered from the kitchen. The gun skittered across the floor, but Paulson retaliated with a left hook to the face that sent McGarrett backward into the wall.

He saw stars and blinked to clear his vision, trying to locate the other man, but was jerked up once again, Paulson punching him in the gut. McGarrett grabbed the man's right arm and squeezed the knife wound, hearing him hiss in pain. Taking advantage, he got a round-house punch to the side of Paulson's head and then dropped to the floor, searching for the lost knife.

Paulson kicked out, hitting McGarrett in the chest, throwing him back into the wall. Steve groaned as he felt the healing wound in his back open up, but managed to get his fingers on the knife, and swung it in the vicinity of Paulson's gut, pleased when he found his mark. His elation was short lived when Paulson's fist landed directly under his nose, popping his head right back into the wall.

Before McGarrett could react, Paulson wrapped both hands around Steve's neck, his thumbs squeezing the air from the injured man's throat. McGarrett dropped the knife and wrapped his hands around the other man's, trying to pull the beefy fingers away from his neck.

Lack of oxygen was causing his vision to waiver and McGarrett knew his options were few. He tried to get his knee up to hit the other man but Paulson once again slammed his head back into the wall, while still squeezing beefy fingers around his throat.

Steve's final fleeting thought was 'there really is a tunnel of white light'. Sound faded into white noise as the light faded to red and black spots, and he knew that this time, the governor's press conference would be true.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

_**Chapter 10**_

White light still pulsed in his throbbing head when he tried to open his eyes to view his surroundings. After blinking several times, the light took on the definitive shapes of multiple beams of flashlights criss-crossing the scene. The deafening roar in his ears morphed into a familiar voice; one he knew well, accompanied by a second sound – the satisfactory punch of muscled flesh to flesh.

Thwak!

"That, you Scumbag, is for shooting my partner in the back."

Thwack!

"And that's for shooting Kono."

In the bouncing flashlight beams, McGarrett squinted, finally making out Paulson's body on the floor with Danny kneeling over him, his fist again raised.

"Thwack!"

"Danny." His voice was nothing more than a raw wheezing whisper when he tried to speak. The second time he tried, nothing but air came out.

"That one is for embarrassing the governor. For some unknown reason, she liked your sorry ass."

"Danny," Steve rasped. "Stop."

Thwack.

"And that one's just because I can't stand that ugly mug you call a face. How's that feel, Mr. Chief of Security?"

Steve reached out a hand and connected with Chin's leg. "Stop him," he whispered.

Chin Ho grasped Danny's shoulder. "Enough, Danny. He's had enough."

"Yeah, well, I'm not done." He raised his fist once again.

"You're done. Boss Man said so."

"Steve?" Danny jerked his head around and scooted closer to his partner, shaking his bruised hand. "Ow," he said, taking a deep breath, his voice calming down. "You back with us?"

He found a flashlight and held it up, causing McGarrett to squeeze his eyes shut from the brightness. He quickly lowered the light and chuckled. "You're a mess. Guess I can't leave you alone at all, huh?" The room was soon filled with HPD, who hauled Paulson from the floor. Glancing back at the prisoner, Williams mumbled, "You should 'a let me kill him."

"Couldn't," McGarrett replied. "Wasn't armed."

"I'm guessing we could have found a weapon in here someplace."

"Besides," Steve's face screwed up in pain when he swallowed, trying to clear his aching throat. "Then I couldn't say 'Book 'em, Danno, could I?" He grinned at his partner through his split lip.

Williams stared at the bruised and bloody face and grinned back at him. "Just for the record, you know that I hate you, right?"

"Yeah, I know," he wheezed once again. "Oh…Kali's locked in the bathroom."

"No, she went to bring in the EMS crew. In fact, I hear them now."

Kali moved back into the bedroom and knelt on the other side of Steve. "You just can't help yourself, can you Big Boy?"

He tried to glare at her, but he knew she wasn't one bit afraid of him…and she knew that he knew that fact. "You promised."

"Okay, two things. You need to stop talking _**now**_ to not aggravate your throat any further." She placed her fingers under his chin to tip his face up while she grabbed Danny's hand holding the flashlight, shining it on McGarrett's neck. "Looks like he really did a number on you. And if you recall, I promised not to come out the door. Not once did you mention anything about the window."

"Way to go, Rocky," Danny praised her.

"Don't you start, too," she warned, rolling her eyes at him.

"You did good, calling when you did," Williams told her. Kono had just put together the puzzle pieces and we were headed this direction, but glad for the heads up. We didn't know where the scum bag was."

"I'm glad it's over," she agreed, with a shake of her head. "More excitement that I want or need. Now, when can we get some of these people out of here to get the gurney in?"

McGarrett saw the waiting EMS techs hovering at the door. "That's not for me."

"Oh, yes, it is." She placed both hands on his shoulders and gently pulled him forward. "In addition to your lovely face, you're wound has opened up. You're bleeding."

"Not my blood," he slurred, pointing toward the doorway. "Was his."

Danny grinned at him. "Well, it's just a hunch, but I'm pretty sure the split lip and bloody nose are both yours."

"Not goin' to hospital."

"Whatever you say," Kali agreed, easing him back against the wall. "Just rest for a few minutes."

But McGarrett had gotten a second wind and was on a roll, complaining as loudly as his croaking voice would allow to anyone within hearing range. "And does anyone remember that I asked for my sidearm…and no one would listen? Anyone want to say that maybe I was right? Huh?"

"No, we don't," Danny calmly disagreed. "And why? Because only morons think that Vicodin and firearms make a good combination."

"I bet you're glad now that you took that pain pill before all this happened," Kali added.

Suddenly McGarrett found the pattern of the carpet very interesting.

Kali had raised a child. And she had a grandchild. Which meant she recognized guilt when she saw it. "You didn't take it, did you? All right, Mister, where's the pill?"

He shook his head and pointed to his throat, whispering. "You told me not to talk."

"McGarrett?"

He pointed toward the bed, still not looking at her. Kono passed her flashlight over the bed, lifting the pillow. "There's two capsules under the pillow."

Kali's voice roared. "You haven't taken the last _**two**_ pills? No wonder you've been so antsy tonight."

He scrunched his eyes closed and held his head. "Hey! Headache."

She shook her head, arching one eyebrow. "I'm beginning to understand why people want to shoot you. My grandson has more sense than you and he's three years old."

"It's just my sweet personality."

Danny snorted. "Yeah, sweet's the first word I thought of, too."

Steve reached out for the bed and after snagging the mattress with his fist, dragged himself, swaying, to his knees.

"McGarrett, stay put! We're bringing in the gurney."

"You saying...I can't…make it up?" He dropped his forehead to the bed, only to raise back up when his sore nose brushed against the sheet.

"I'm saying you need to be in a hospital," the nurse argued.

"Not happening. Can take care of m'self."

Danny glanced from Steve to Kali, giving her a wink. "So, you can do this yourself? What? You plan on walking out of here?"

"Piece a'cake."

Williams shrugged a shoulder, and grinning at the nurse, waved his arm toward the door. "Then by all means, go for it. Just let me know if you need any help."

"I'm good."

"You are both lolo," Kali mumbled. "And you are going to kill yourself."

McGarrett managed to get one foot under him before pitching forward. Lucky for him, Danny was in position to catch him before he face-planted into the floor.

"So…" Williams said, not able to keep the smile from his face. "How's that working out for you, Superman?"

From the vicinity of Danny's left shoulder, they heard the mumbled words, "Told you I could do it."


	11. Chapter 11

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

_**Chapter 11**_

_**Tuesday evening, 11:25 p.m.**_

"Rachel, hi, it's me," Danny spoke into the phone. "Um…listen…I know it's late and I know you already want to kill me, but I'm outside the gate. Could you…would you please wake up Grace and let me talk to her for a minute? It's really important. And I need to talk to you, too if you'll let me."

"Danny, it is nearing midnight. She's still very upset but I don't think getting her out of bed will help."

"I know she is and that's what I need to talk to her about. Please, Rachel. I won't keep her more than ten minutes, I swear."

She sighed into the phone. "Use the code and come on in. I'll meet you at the front door. Stan is traveling again."

"Thank you, Rachel, thank you."

Once inside the door, he asked, "How long has she been asleep?"

"Probably not long. She began crying again tonight in the bathtub." Rachel gave him a tight smile while shrugging her shoulders. "Truth be told, I only left her room a few minutes ago. I got her calmed down and into bed and we talked for a while. She has lots of questions...and I don't really have the answers."

"This is good news, Rachel," Danny promised as they walked up the stairs to their daughter's bedroom. "She needs to hear it...tonight."

Rachel opened the door to her daughter's room. "Gracie-Bug, are you asleep?"

The little girl rolled over. "Not yet, Mommy."

"Look who's here."

"Hey, Monkey! Can I come in?"

She jumped straight up in bed. "Danno!" Before he could move, she had leapt from the bed and wrapped arms and legs around him, hanging on as if her life depended on it. "I waited for you and you didn't come."

Williams walked to the bed with Grace still tightly attached, then sat down, holding her in his lap. He kissed the top of her head and said, "I've missed you so much. But I promised I would come to see you just as soon as I could."

"Did you get the bad guy who shot Steve?"

"Did I get him?" He leaned back to glare at her. "What do you mean 'did I get him'? 'Course I did. With the help of a whole lot of other people."

She leaned against his chest. "I miss him already."

Danny huffed out a breath and looked to Rachel. "Okay, Grace, I need to talk to you." He placed his hands on both sides of her face and pushed back so she would look at him. "I've got good news, but you need to listen for me to explain, okay?"

She nodded, placed her small hands on top of his and looked into his eyes. "What's wrong, Daddy?"

"You know that Danno has always promised that I would never lie to you, right?"

"And you don't. Ever. It's our special promise."

"You're right. It _**is**_ our very special promise. And that doesn't change. But there are times…" He struggled with words. "Sometimes, Grace, there are times when being a policeman, I have to tell people things that aren't true so that we can try to catch them. I lie to the bad people…and when I do that, sometimes everyone hears that lie."

"Danny, please just spit it out, because you really aren't making much sense," Rachel prodded, her arms across her chest in a defensive gesture.

"Okay, here it is. Gracie, we lied when we said that Steve was dead. He's not dead, but we pretended he was."

She shook her head in denial. "But the governor said so. And you said so, too. I heard you on TV. And you shouldn't lie to everyone on TV."

"Uh, that's a discussion we need to have later," he replied with a grin. "I know what you heard on TV. We both lied…and that's wrong. We had to pretend Steve was dead so the bad man wouldn't try to hurt him again. I was afraid someone was listening on my phone when you called me, so I couldn't tell you or your mom the truth. I wanted to, Baby, really."

"Well, if Steve is alive, why didn't he come with you?"

"Last week he really was hurt and he's still in the hospital. He's going to be okay, and you can see him soon. But…" he pulled out his cell phone. "This might be the next best thing."

The phone was answered on the first ring. "Gracie?"

"Got you on speaker, Partner. Say hello, Grace."

"Steve? It doesn't sound very much like you."

"Sorry, Grace. I've kinda got a sore throat. Did Danno explain stuff to you?"

"Yes, that you being dead was only pretend." She cut a glance at her father. "But it was really a lie. Are you hurt other than your sore throat?"

"I'm mostly tired. I'll be fine, I promise. And I'll see you the next weekend you spend with Danno, okay?"

"That's this week." She looked to her parents. "Can I see Steve this weekend?"

Absolutely," Williams agreed.

"Yes, of course, Grace," her mother promised. "Commander, it is good to hear your voice. Take care of yourself."

"Steve, you have to get better so you can take care of Danno, too. Because that's what partners do. My daddy said so." The little girl looked to her father for confirmation.

"Danno was right; that's what partners do."

"All right, it's time to say 'goodnight, Gracie'," Danny said, rolling his eyes at his ex-wife. "Although I don't know which one of you will be asleep first," he added with a smile.

"Night, Grace. See you soon."

"Good night, Steve. I'm glad you're not really dead."

He tried to chuckle. "Me, too," he agreed as he hung up the phone.

"So," Danny put his phone in his pocket and hugged Grace, kissing the top of her head. "Do you think you can sleep better now?"

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pushed him down on the bed. "Yep. But only if you tuck me in."

"Aw, man. I have to do that?" he asked with a groan. "I mean, that's like work, and I'm really tired. I've already worked all day."

She giggled at his theatrics. "I love you, Danno."

"I love you more, Monkey." He flipped her onto the bed, then jumped up, pulling the sheet up over her. Leaning down, he kissed her once more. "Sleep tight."

"Night. I can't wait for this weekend."

"Me, either. Sweet dreams."

He met his ex at the door of their daughter's room, turned out the light and pulled the door shut. Not knowing what to do next, he scratched the back of his head as they walked toward the stairs. "Thank you for that. I really appreciate it, Rachel."

"She needed it," Rachel admitted.

"I think I needed it more," he replied quietly. "It's been a bitch of a week."

"I'm glad you got the guy."

"Me, too. You don't know how glad I am." At the front door, he turned toward her. "Well, thanks again. I'm going to go home and crash, too."

She nodded. "We'll talk about this weekend. Good night, Daniel."

Danny had run out of words. He smiled, ducked his head and nodded. "Yeah."


	12. Chapter 12

_**OK, folks, here is the epilogue. Thank you so much for reading this story. I am overwhelmed and humbled by all responses and comments and will do my best to reply to each of you as time allows. I'll admit, I have to write for me because the voices in my head tell me to :), but it is nice to know that others like what I've put down.**_

_**Now...after reading a lot of Hawaii Five-0 fanfic, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that several of you won't like how I ended this. Sorry, but this is what was in my head, so I had to go for it.**_

_**Thanks again...**_

_**Ho'ailona**_

**by Cokie**

_**Chapter 12 – Epilogue**_

_**Friday, 11:15 a.m.**_

"Sleeping Beauty, you want to wake up or should I carry you over the threshold?"

McGarrett jumped. "Not asleep."

"I heard snoring."

"Did not."

"Did. Anyway, welcome home."

"About damn time." McGarrett opened the car door and slowly maneuvered his legs outside before gripping the dash with one hand and the car's frame with the other. Even with the support, he grunted as he stood.

"I could have helped, you know," Williams groused at him, coming to meet him on the passenger side.

"I'm not an invalid."

"Could have fooled me. You walk like Great Papa Williams. And he's eighty if he's a day."

"That from the man who has the cane. And for the record, I don't need a babysitter."

"OK, cheap shot about the cane, but I'll ignore it. I'm keeping it for an emergency. Which while partnered with you, is an every day situation. As for the sitter, I seem to recall having this conversation several times in the last couple of days. I say you need a sitter, the doctor says you need a sitter, Kali says you need a sitter…"

"Don't need one. Promise." Steve let go of the car door and began slowly walking around the side of his house.

"Hello! The door is over here. Just where the hell, do you think you're going?" Danny yelled at him, grabbing the bag from the back seat. "The only reason you are here is because you told the doctor you would stay in bed…which isn't that direction."

His partner kept walking toward the water. "Later. I just need to see…" he paused and took a deep breath as he stared at the beach that was his back yard. He eased into one of the wooden chairs facing the water and sat, staring into the horizon, soaking up the sunshine and fresh air. "I just need to feel it. I can't stand being cooped up."

"You really love it, don't you?"

"Yeah. Yeah, I do. Kind of concerned there for a few minutes that I wasn't going to see it again," he admitted. "You know—"he paused, searching for words, staring at the ocean, the sky, anyplace but at the man next to him.

"What?" Danny prodded.

"You said I was lucky not to remember what happened."

"Absolutely. Wish I could forget it."

"Well, I do remember parts of it."

"Really? Do tell."

McGarrett sighed and slowly shook his head. "When it happened, it was a given - I knew I was dying. But then I heard your voice and I wasn't afraid any more. I knew you were on the job."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." He finally looked up at the man standing beside him. "Thanks. Chin said you saved my life. A couple of times. What I don't remember is you pulling Paulson off me. That was the second time I thought I'd died." He grinned, glancing back up at an embarrassed Danny. "Chin said you went airborne at the doorway and tackled him."

Danny shrugged, accepting the thanks. "Yeah, well, he had already pissed me off. Seeing him choking you just made me madder. But while we're on the subject…"

"Here it comes." McGarrett sighed.

"We need to talk about your frickin' Superman complex and your need to over-compensate in everything you do."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Chin, Kono and I were talking—"

"Oh, joy. What now?"

"Seriously, you have _**got**_ to be more careful." Danny began to pace, using his hands for punctuation. "Paulson knew you would react just like you did and jump in front of the governor. He read you and knew that's what you would do. And it almost got you killed."

"Danny, I can't—"

"Hear me out," he held up his hands for silence. "Don't be so predictable. Next time, knock someone to the ground or something and fall on top of them. Hell, use your super powers and fly. I don't know, just mix it up and keep people guessing."

McGarrett rolled his eyes. "You're nuts, you know that?"

"Yeah, I'm your partner, I'm nuts all right. I've got a list a mile long of ways you can get us killed."

"Another list, huh? Not surprised at that one."

"What the hell's wrong with lists? It's how I keep things organized. Like any good cop should. I'm detail oriented. It's right up there with doing things… By. The. Book." He slapped his fist against his other palm for emphasis.

"And I guess I need to remind you…once again… that I'm _**not**_ a cop, I'm a SEAL. We don't rely much on lists."

"What a surprise that is."

"Danny," Steve sighed, then held up his hand to halt his partner while he gathered his thoughts. "I get things done the way I was trained. Which was on-the-job training and case studies of what worked and what didn't in any given situation. Not by rulebooks and lists. But I'm trying to learn your methods, too. Sometimes. But there are times when sitting back and waiting just isn't going to happen. You've got to understand that."

"I'm not done with you yet, McGarrett," he grinned. "I'll hold onto the fact that you're still 'teachable'. But, for the record - don't make a habit of getting shot up. You scared the shit out of me."

He was almost finished with his latest rant when he remembered to add, "And, by the way, you owe me a new shirt."

Steve laughed. "Put it on my tab."

"That you will never pay. Now…get up from there. You need to get inside. Besides, I have a surprise for you."

McGarrett sighed. "What now? And I really am serious about you staying here with me. I know for a fact that you are supposed to pick up Grace tonight. You can't spend time with your daughter if you are watching me sit here—"

"Lay here. In bed, remember?"

"—doing nothing."

"Ah, there it is." Danny emphasized with his hands. "We…" he made a circle in the air. "That's an 'everyone who knows you' _**we**_… know you can't just 'do nothing'. Therefore, the baby sitter."

"Quit saying that word."

"You can't even put on a pair of shoes by yourself," Danny yelled, waving in the air.

"Hello. Hawaii." Steve spread his arms to encompass the space around him. "Flip flops, Jersey, qualify for shoes, too. I'm perfectly capable—"

"—Stop arguing! You need someone to stay with you. Now get your butt in gear and go into the house."

McGarrett sighed and slowly got out of the chair, turning toward his back door before stopping in his tracks. Framed in the doorway was Catherine Rollins.

He swallowed, turned to Danny, then back to Catherine who began walking toward them. "How? You?"

"I pulled some strings," Williams said with a grin. "What? I hope you didn't think_** I**_ was going to put your sorry ass in bed."

"You really did this?"

"You aren't the only one with the governor's phone number, you know."

Catherine reached him and wrapped both arms around his waist. "Hello, you."

He grinned down at her suddenly feeling much better about his home incarceration. "Hello, yourself."

"Now that's what I call a shit-eating grin," Danny laughed, staring at his partner's face.

"I - uh can't believe you're here," Steve admitted, kissing her on the forehead, before hugging her, mouthing 'thank you' to Danny over her shoulder. As a 'thanks-I-owe-you-one', they did a manly fist bump behind her back.

Catherine pulled back to get a good look at him then cupped her hand against his unshaven cheek, touching the cut on his lip with her thumb. "You look tired."

"He is, Catherine. I swear he snored all the way home. And his final words to his doctor were, 'I'll go home and straight to bed'. Maybe _**you**_ can help him get there."

She grinned at McGarrett who smiled back at her. "I'll give it a shot."

"You know…I _**am**_ kind of tired."

Williams groaned, then grinned at the two of them. "Here's his bag. All the meds are inside. And his favorite nurse will be by tomorrow just to check up on him."

"You didn't tell her where I live, did you?"

"Damn straight. You're going to love her, Catherine. Her name is Kali, she's about 'yay high'," he measured about five feet off the ground, "and boy can she make him jump." Leaning closer, he whispered, "And she scares the piss out of him."

"Oh, she does not, Danny. She's a grandmother, for crying out loud."

"Just wait, Catherine. You'll see. Oh, and the doctor said to make sure he takes the pain pills. He gets really cranky without them. Although," he stopped, in thought, "if he doesn't take them, Kali can take care of that, too. Her drugs come with big, pointy needles. "

"I'm not cranky," McGarrett swore, his eyes wide, remembering said needle in his backside.

"We'll take care of it if you are," she promised, kissing a bruise on McGarrett's cheek. "See you tomorrow night, Danny?"

"Absolutely," Williams agreed.

"What's tomorrow night?" Steve asked, a confused look on his face.

"Remember that sushi you promised to buy before all this happened?"

Steve touched his forehead, attempting to "remember". "Um, no, not really. You know, brain's kind of fuzzy and all."

"You weren't hit in the head, you Moron, but I'll gladly give you a fuzzy brain. We're all coming for dinner tomorrow. I'm bringing Grace, too. Even though she talked to you the other night, you were drugged to the gills and sounded embarrassingly drunk. I don't think she's convinced it was you."

"Wasn't drugged," McGarrett argued.

"So you say. But remember, I watched that big old needle getting shoved into your cute little tushie."

The commander turned six shades of red. "Yeah, well, she should be brought up on charges. She just did that because I spit out her stupid pills."

"Word of warning, Steven. Do not call the person waving a needle at you a 'demented sadist'. It's just not very smart."

"Duly noted. Now, what about dinner?" He looked at Catherine. "You'll get to meet everyone. Oh, and Danny, I'll pay."

"Hell, yeah, you're paying. In fact, the hospital gave me your stuff last week." He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a platinum American Express card. "So there is no doubt that you're paying." He kissed the card and put it back into the pocket.

"Hey! That's not fair."

"And I'm buying my new shirt," Danny added, turning and sauntering away, hands in his pockets. Over his shoulder, they heard, "And Grace needs new shoes….and a pony."

"Danno!"


End file.
